Legendary Da Vinci's Mona Lisa to Be Moved from Louvre to Separate Room for ‘Calmer Viewing’
The famous Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci, which is kept in the Louvre Museum in Paris, is to be moved to a separate room. This was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron during a speech at the Louvre, BFMTV reports.
Macron said that the Mona Lisa would be moved and exhibited ‘in a special place’ nearby.
According to him, the new space will be separated from the main part of the museum, will have a separate entrance ticket and will create conditions for ‘a different and more relaxed way of visiting’.
The President also stressed that this format ‘corresponds to what the Mona Lisa deserves’.
In addition, Macron announced the restoration and expansion of the Louvre, including the construction of a ‘new main entrance’ to ‘restore the balance in visits’ and make the museum more accessible to Parisians.
The Mona Lisa is currently on display in the Louvre's largest room, the Salle des États, behind protective glass. However, it is not the only outstanding painting in this space - works by Venetian masters of the 16th century are exhibited alongside it, and at the other end of the hall is the museum's largest painting, The Wedding at Cani by Paolo Veronese.
In January 2024, the Mona Lisa was targeted by environmental activists who poured soup on it, demanding ‘healthy and sustainable food’. Thanks to the bulletproof glass, the painting was not damaged.
Earlier, another museum visitor threw a cake at it.